Flowers left at Holywell lake where woman and grandson drowned

FLOWERS have been left next to a lake where a 71-year-old woman and her six-year-old grandson drowned.

Police say they may have been feeding the ducks at the lake in Holywell, near Castle Bytham, when the tragedy occurred.

Photo: SM190212-003ow

The boy, who is believed to be from Ketton, had spent the previous night at his grandmother's home in Castle Bytham.

His mother raised the alarm at 9.20pm on Thursday because they had not returned home.

Police, fire crews and an RAF search and rescue helicopter searched for them. They found the woman's car at the lake and recovered her body at 10.45pm. The rescue team tried to resuscitate her but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The boy's body was found in the lake at 4am on Friday.

Formal identification will take place tomorrow (Monday).

Flowers left at the scene offer condolences from a family in Holywell and one bunch has a child's drawing with it.

People living in Castle Bytham have paid tribute to the grandmother.

One neighbour who joined the search on Thursday night said: “I was really shocked and stunned and very upset.

“She’s been our neighbour ever since we moved here. She was a fantastic person.

“She was great with kids and loved them to bits. She was a fantastic neighbour and could not do enough to help us out with anything.”

“She was a lovely, lovely lady. She was a private person but was always keen to say hello and it was quite a shock, especially in the circumstances.

“She lived on her own but she wasn’t a lonely lady by any means.”

David King, 49, who lives in Pinfold Road in the village said: “We drive past the pond on the way to go shopping and it’s such a lovely area. They’ve been dredging it for the past six months. They have just planted some new trees and a lot of people go there to feed the geese.

“It’s very tragic.”

A neighbour who has lived in the village for 30 years said: “We heard the helicopter at about 2am. We didn’t think it was anything too unusual but I wondered what was happening.

“A lot of the villagers go to feed the ducks down there. It’s absolutely tragic. I can’t believe it.

“I was a vague acquaintance. She used to go by in her car and we’d wave.”

Clerk to Castle Bytham Parish Council Muriel Cooke said: “It’s shocking news for the village. The lady was from here and she was a very private person.

“She was a very nice lady, very cultured. She liked the ballet for example. I don’t know her or the family very well.”

Police said the circumstances surrounding the deaths are being investigated and post mortems will be carried out in due course.

Det Chief Insp David Wood said on Friday: “At the moment we believe this is a tragic accident.

“Initial inquiries show there were no witnesses so it’s not possible to say how this has occurred.